British boatbuilder delivers the world’s first fully recyclable boat

ExoTechnologies says its first commercial vessel is being delivered to Police Scotland, built from its fully recyclable Danu composite material technology. The boat is the first of a new range being built at Ultimate Boats, the Glasgow boatyard owned by ExoTechnologies. 

Police Scotland’s boat will be demonstrated at Seawork exhibition in Southampton next week.

According to the manufacturer, Danu is fully recyclable and can replace fibreglass and carbon fibre, ‘preventing millions of tonnes and boats being dumped into landfill each year’.

Ultimate Boats’ full high-performance workboat range includes a 13m crew transfer vessel, 11.5m multi-mission workboat and 7.5m support workboat, which the builder says have already attracted significant interest from commercial operators and military.

ExoTechnologies says it is seeking to raise capital to scale its recyclable Danu composite material technology worldwide.

The Police Scotland boat has a top speed of 50 knots and an operating range of 400 nautical miles, and the deal represents the culmination of a £7 million investment in research and development by ExoTechnologies. The company says it plans to create 300 jobs at the yard within five years.

ExoTechnologies CEO, Shane Mugan, says: “We are proud that this pioneering and internationally significant project is being delivered in Scotland, by our talented Clyde-based workforce, in partnership with Police Scotland.

“To witness the world’s first ever fully recyclable boat, in action, made from our fully recyclable Danu composite material technology is incredibly rewarding after years of research and development.

“Police Scotland’s boat marks a significant breakthrough in transforming boatbuilding, as our fully recyclable Danu composite material technology of superior mechanical strength has replaced fibreglass entirely, currently the most common form of boatbuilding substance.”

ExoTechnologies approached Police Scotland in July 2020 with an opportunity to co-design a purpose-built boat that would be offered on a research and development loan for operational use. The vessel will be loaned to Police Scotland for a three-year period with an agreement in place which covers the cost of insurance, maintenance and servicing.

Mugan adds: “We are preparing to engage with potential investors and strategic partners to scale our company to realise the potential of our market leading technologies capable of accelerating the green transition to a circular economy across all industries and markets.”